Edwards helps No. 24 Purdue hold off Ball State 84-75

Ball State guard Tayler Persons, right, goes around Purdue guard Eric Hunter Jr. in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2018. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)(Photo: The Associated Press)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — One big second-half push by Purdue was enough.

Carsen Edwards scored 23 points on 8-for-22 shooting, and the 24th-ranked Boilermakers pulled away from Ball State for an 84-75 victory on Saturday night.

Edwards struggled with his shooting stroke at times but managed to contribute in a variety of ways. The junior guard had five rebounds, five assists and blocked a shot.

Purdue trailed 48-45 after Kyle Mallers made a 3-pointer for Ball State with 18 minutes left. But the Boilermakers responded with a 24-4 run.

Nojel Eastern capped the decisive stretch with a pair of layups, making it 69-52 with 11:28 remaining.

"In the first half, in terms of 50-50 balls and that kinda stuff, they were coming at us," Purdue center Matt Haarms said. "In the second half, they weren't ready for us and we came at them right away. ... You've just got to hit 'em."